Best Android 4.0 phone to buy?

[Humodour]

So my current Nokia N900 (runs Linux), as much as I love it, is nearing the end of its useful life. I got it in either 2008 or 2009. I can't recall. I wish I could say it is actually broken, but it's not, besides the headphone jack (despite throwing it at a wall in a drunken rage, and dropping it in goon twice, all years ago). But the screen is only 3.5 inches, and the Firefox browser struggles with YouTube playback because the processor is only 600 mHz.

 

I'll keep it around as an excellent backup phone, and a phone to take overseas, but I want access to the Android ecosystem. I want to play Plants vs Zombies on my phone and have easy access to netbank via an app rather than a website. And that's the tip of the iceberg.

 

So I want your thoughts on the best new Android phone to buy?

 

I am seriously contemplating the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, at $400 AUD. It's got great reviews and root access is available by default. It doesn't have exapandable storage, though, and it is only dual-core instead of the quad-core of the Samsung Galaxy S3 (and while this may not matter at the moment, it might as developers produce more intensive apps in the coming years). I'm also concerned that developers developing for Android are going to make sure their apps work on the Galaxy S3 before anything else, since it's the flagship Android phone, and the Nexus may be a brief afterthought.

 

I buy phones to last. So while the Nexus is great value at $400, I plan to still have my phone in 3-4 years time. So would paying the extra $400 for the Galaxy S3 (costing around $800 AUD) be worth it in light of that?

 

P.S.: If you suggest I buy a ****ty iPhone or Windows Phone, I'll hate you forever.

[Morgoth]

HTC One S, or Samsung Galaxy SII are the classics.

 

If you wanna have a Quad-Core phone, and your pocked allows it, Galaxy S3 or HTC One X.

 

I agree, don't touch that overpriced POS that is the iPhone.

[Tigranes]

I have a Galaxy SII and it's excellent - hard to find bad things about it (OK, well, GPS). iPhones are OK but they're expensive and boring. I'd say wait for S3 if you can, otherwise, S2 is still good - not sure about the Nexus, probably not too different.

[Bos_hybrid]

So I want your thoughts on the best new Android phone to buy?

 

I am seriously contemplating the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, at $400 AUD. It's got great reviews and root access is available by default. It doesn't have exapandable storage, though, and it is only dual-core instead of the quad-core of the Samsung Galaxy S3 (and while this may not matter at the moment, it might as developers produce more intensive apps in the coming years). I'm also concerned that developers developing for Android are going to make sure their apps work on the Galaxy S3 before anything else, since it's the flagship Android phone, and the Nexus may be a brief afterthought.

 

I've had a nexus for about a month now, can't say anything bad about it, runs well, is compatible with most apps(haven't found one that isn't, but there is bound to be) and a great display. I'd recommend it, if you can't/ don't want to wait for the Galaxy SIII. There is also the Note if you really want a big screen, however it's too big in my opinion.

[mkreku]

All I can add to this conversation is: Don't buy a Motorola. Unless you enjoy having your phone crash in your ear in the middle of conversations all the time. Or crash when you type an sms. Or crash because you ****ING TOUCHED IT YOU STUPID PERSON.

 

I am so tired of my Motorola Defy. Only cool thing about it is taking pics of myself in the shower (it is waterproof).

[Gorgon]

Memory errors are somewhat too common on Nokia and Motoroller Androids. Get the Samsung, you may come to regret not havning enough ram. Some Apps are finicky about expansion memory in particular.

[Hurlshort]

My original Droid is a Motorola, it's been pretty awesome actually.

[Oerwinde]

Me and the missus both have the Galaxy S2 and we both love it. Only thing I miss from my blackberry is only having to charge it every 4 days instead of every night.

[Humodour]

So I'm going to buy the Samsung Galaxy S3 and a Mugen Power battery (should be able to get around a 5000 mAh battery, providing twice as long runtime).

 

Me and the missus both have the Galaxy S2 and we both love it. Only thing I miss from my blackberry is only having to charge it every 4 days instead of every night.

 

http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/samsung/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-i9100/mugen-power-3200mah-extended-battery-for-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-si9100-with-battery-door.html

 

This extended battery will provide you with roughly double your original S2 battery life. It's $98.

[Monte Carlo]

Cnotract phones. Meh. I'm stuck with my Blackberry for another year, don't get me wrong it's OK but I woke up one morning and wanted a phone with a really fast browser that wasn't Crapple.

 

This led me to the Android / Samsung S3 series... but it's still a year off as I'm tied into contract. In the meanwhile I'm going to buy a Kindle Fire when it comes out as a portable stop-gap / e-reader.

[Gorgon]

 

 

 

Does anyone know if you can get a dock that will let you charge a battery on its own, not just the phone. I have about 5hrs of continuous use on my Samsung s3

and I'm always worried I'm going to run out. It would be nice to be able to pocket a fully charged battery for a long trip with no sockets.

[Humodour]

 

 

 

Does anyone know if you can get a dock that will let you charge a battery on its own, not just the phone. I have about 5hrs of continuous use on my Samsung s3

and I'm always worried I'm going to run out. It would be nice to be able to pocket a fully charged battery for a long trip with no sockets.

 

Yes.

[Gorgon]

How is that Mugen battery working out in the real world ?

[Hurlshort]

You could always buy that special shirt that charges you phone using built up static electricity.

[Monte Carlo]

A guy at work has a Samsung S2 and one of those battery re-chargers. It gives him another fifteen hours and it's the size of a small bar of chocolate. Cheap as chips, you can find them on ebay and Amazon.

[Hurlshort]

I've never had any problems getting through a long day with my Galaxy S3. I guess if I'm playing games for hours there could be an issue, but really the screen is the only major power drain, and as long as you don't leave it on all the time it goes for a long time.

[Nepenthe]

Does anyone know if you can get a dock that will let you charge a battery on its own, not just the phone. I have about 5hrs of continuous use on my Samsung s3

and I'm always worried I'm going to run out. It would be nice to be able to pocket a fully charged battery for a long trip with no sockets.

5 hours? That's a resounding endorsement to buy if I ever heard one. :D

[Gorgon]

1.4 mhz quad core, larger screen, comes with a crappy battery. I don't know why they thought having the thing as thin as a piece of paper is preferable to more battery life, but that seems to be the thought on smartphones.

 

5 hrs of heavy usage is about as much as you get out of any of them.

[Hurlshort]

5 hours of heavy use is a ton, though! There are a lot of laptops that top out at that range as well.

 

Honestly my phone can go about two days without charging with my typical use. I'm not sure what I could possibly do to run the battery down in 5 hours. The only thing that comes close is the GPS on road trips, and for that I either turn off the screen for long stretches or I use a car charger.

[Nepenthe]

5 hours of heavy use is a ton, though! There are a lot of laptops that top out at that range as well.

 

Honestly my phone can go about two days without charging with my typical use. I'm not sure what I could possibly do to run the battery down in 5 hours. The only thing that comes close is the GPS on road trips, and for that I either turn off the screen for long stretches or I use a car charger.

True, true. I get two days out of mine, as well. But then again, I run pretty much anything resource-intensive on the tablet, instead.

[Tigranes]

I can never leave it alone and I use it for music, documents, web, messenger, and it mostly lasts a day, if just. Things are different with videos or games, but I'm not doing much of that at the moment. I may well get a second battery.

[Gfted1]

My wife just got a Galaxy S3 and its beautiful. My entire iPhone fits in the footprint of just the display on the S3.

[Nepenthe]

My wife just got a Galaxy S3 and its beautiful. My entire iPhone fits in the footprint of just the display on the S3.

Doesn't sounds like a glowing endorsement, either. Though I understand that it's a lot rarer to see Android users talking into 8" tablets.

[Gorgon]

I wish there was a horizontal screen mode though. You have to chose between automatic, which is not as handy as it sounds - video streams get buggered if you accidentally tilt the thing, and vertical. It kinda feels like a little gamepad so you want to hold it horizontally and the keyboard is bigger that way too but the OS only has horizontal orientaton for certain menus, not the destop for instance.

Edited July 30, 2012 by Gorgon

[Humodour]

I can never leave it alone and I use it for music, documents, web, messenger, and it mostly lasts a day, if just. Things are different with videos or games, but I'm not doing much of that at the moment. I may well get a second battery.

 

 

I want to genuinely open your eyes to a life where you phone lasts at least 2 days under full load, so please check these out:

 

http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ceca/

 

While I guess these both fall under the category of 'extra battery', they do so in different ways. 1) the Mugen power battery should simply be your primary battery since it has double the battery life of your default battery. 2) the wristband is designed for portability and the ability to charge anything. Caring around another plain phone battery in your pocket is a silly idea, especially if it leaks or explodes. that said, if you do get an extra battery from Mugen power, that DOES leave you your current battery as a spare if super necessary one day.